Brides of Christ sounds like a modest miniseries about the lives of nuns in an Australian convent and girls' school in the 1960s. But within that simple summary are astonishing stories, both in the rich personal lives o... more &raquof the nuns and the cultural shifts at work as the Catholic Church struggled to bring itself into the modern age. Over six hourlong episodes, Brides of Christ focuses on six women: Sister Ambrose (Sandy Gore), the Mother Superior of Santo Spirito, whose gentle leadership goes astray when the school hires a male teacher; Sister Agnes (Brenda Fricker, My Left Foot), a conservative nun who resists the modernizing changes dictated by the Vatican; Sister Paul (Lisa Hensley), an uncomplicated but devoted young nun who leaves the sisterhood when she falls in love; Frances (a young Naomi Watts, Mulholland Drive, 21 Grams), a student whose parents are undergoing divorce; Rosemary (Kym Wilson), a rebellious girl who fights against the sexual repression of the church; and woven through it all, Sister Catherine (Josephine Byrnes), an independent-thinking nun whose craving for reform puts her at odds with her superiors. Brides of Christ balances respect and empathy with a critical social perspective, always channeled through these superbly realized women. The smart and deeply felt scripts are given dynamic life by uniformly beautiful performances (also appearing is a pre-stardom Russell Crowe). An absolutely fantastic miniseries that can't be recommended strongly enough. --Bret Fetzer&laquo less

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Movie Reviews

The best movie I have seen in many years

Nancy-Cassandra Kenfield | 11/02/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although the story line took place in Australia, at the other end of the world, I could relate to every sister, student, family members, and their friends in this great movie, "Brides of Christ." I was educated by the sisters for twelve years during the 1940's and 1950's. With my Irish Catholic upbringing from my parents, and from the sisters, this movie was so powerful that I felt strong respect for Sister Agnes. Brenda Fricker lived the part of that dedicated sister who had the great love for Christ, and at the same time, she was trying to instill the proper Catholic values in the students before they faced the outside world. Mother Ambrose was an absolutely brilliant lady, and also very human, and had much compassion and love for the sisters and students at Santo Spirito. I felt very sad when Sister Paul made a, what might have seemed, decision in haste to leave to marry the "rebel" priest. However, I was then overjoyed over the way she resolved her situation/problem. I remember vividly all the changes during the 1960's after Vatican II with the mass exodus of the priests and sisters from their religious orders. Oh yes, I felt that Jack, the rebel priest along with many other ex-priests that I so well recall, were proponents of rapid changes, which for most of the conservative Catholics like myself, could and were accepted much more gradually. Therefore, this film had a such a profound effect of me that in between each video session, I felt as though I were involved with each and every character in the story; some of whom I loved, Sr. Agnes, Mother Ambrose, Sr. Catharine, Sr. Paul, Sr. Patrick, and the occasional ones whom I disliked, for instance, the rebel priest. Why did Jack have to get so angry at the church? He remained within it long enough to become accepted and ordained a priest. There were a couple of prissy little missies at the boarding school who reminded me of some of the "popular" girls, and I, as an underdog in my later high school years, had experienced ,and until this day I could never forget their obnoxious antics. I felt compassion for Sr. Philomena who had the most difficulty in accepting the changes. However, I could not quite comprehend the actions of the girls when she appeared with the "purple" hair. When I was in high school during the 1950's, we would never get away with being so rude as to openly laugh like that any of the sisters. The church music and the mystique of that particular time, made me nostalgic of my Roman Catholicism. This film made me come away from it with prayerful thanksgiving at having been privileged to experience knowing similar people in my lifetime. I only rented it, but my plans are to buy it, and I will watch "Brides of Christ" every could of months forever."

Aussie Nuns? Say G'day again?

Jeff Watkins | Santa Fe, NM United States | 07/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I purchased this set for no more reason that it is Russell Crowe's first acting job. Mr. Crowe doesn't appear until the 4th of 6 episodes, and then only in that one. I meant to play through it with the sound off until he appeared on screen. But within 10 minutes of the first episode's beginning, I found it impossible not to start listening, and watched the entire series in wrapt fascination.I'm neither Catholic nor Christian, but this program transcends its subject and looks directly into the hearts of its characters with a rare simplicity that avoids sentimentality while being infinitely touching. Brenda Fricker is lovely and moving, and holds centerstage without taking away one iota from the large supporting cast of mostly female players, young and old.This unusual series comes highly recommended as a look into a world I'd never even considered, yet one that is varied, fascinating, and wholely worthwhile.Oh! And Russell Crowe is BRILLIANT! Young, charismatic, charming, and just the right amount of awkward. From the start he had a nose for good material, and this show proves it."

One of the best things ever on television

Nancy-Cassandra Kenfield | 06/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Aside from being a walk down memory lane, since I was in HS at a roman Cath. prep school during the same time as the film, and "our" sisters were very much like the sisters portrayed in the film! I found it fascinating to realize that Australians were dealing with the same issues of social changes and the Vietnam draft that we were! Wonderful writing, great insight, super performances! DO NOT pass this by! Finally, I found the character of Sr. Agnes to be one of the most interesting - when you first "meet" her, esp for those of us who may have had a teacher like her, you understand Catherine wishing she were dead! As the film goes on, you begin to understand her point of view, her capacity for compassion and the breadth of her mind - she is a superb theologian! The other characters are equally fleshed out and real."

Real feeling about real life - the characters are human.

jblanchard@erols.com | Clifton, Virginia, USA | 05/03/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Brides of Christ is one of the most exceptional dramas about "real life" in a convent that I have seen yet. It portrays "sisters" as real people who struggle with real issues from the teachings of the Catholic Church to power struggles and bouts with their own humaness through love and sadness. It focuses on two sisters who have a great love for one another through friendship and circumstance yet who are seperated soon after their entering so as not to inhibit their formation. They are eventually reunited on their journey...Sr. Catherine cannot come to grips with the teaching magesterium of the Church and speaks out against it despite much opposition from within. She has a true love for others and wants what is best for them but cannot reconcile herself to a Church and religion she loves and yet cannot come to terms with.Sr. Paul loves the Church and God with all of her heart and seems to fit right in to convent life with a sense of humor that seems able to overcome anything. She is accepting and loving yet finds herself at odds with the community after falling in love with a "rebel" priest. This movie is set during the Vatican II era where there is much change and tension within the Catholic Church. It is done within the settings and confines of the convent and within a Catholic Boarding School. The Catholic students within the movie play a very substantial part in the lives of the sisters and help to bring an understanding of those tumultuous teenage years.Brides of Christ took great strides in trying to bring reality to the lives of those which remain hidden to most of the world. The only exception is that it was misleading in promoting a correct view of how the teachings of the Church come about and how and why they should be accepted. One can pick this up if they are a well instructed Catholic but if one is not they can easily be led astray. All in all the movie was just a great movie with real situations and real characters."

Brilliant

S. HADAVI | United Kingdom | 03/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These videos are excellent, in terms of story line and content. Ther series cover the lives of the nuns,and pupils of the convent of Santo Sprito in Austrialia. The main ecclesiastical characters, Ambrose(the broadmind Mother Superior) Agnes ( the fundementalist, Mistress of novices')Catherine ( the rebellious one) and Paul( the accepting one) are so believable.The series takes place against the back drop of the swinging sixties and vactican Two, whose reform died with Jonn XXIII. It shows how the nuns react to the changes. Sister Catherine was so credible as the young educated woman trying to conform to the strict tenets of the Catholic faith, and eventually realising she could not.The pupils, Bridget, Frances and Rosemary were all fantastic.This video also highlighted the problems Catholic women had with contraception.Bridget's mother was forced to do a home abortion, because taking the pill was and still is a mortal sin, even if used within marriage.It also showed how divorce was viewed by Catholic society, Frances' mother was ostracised by the other parents, yet the two young sisters Catherine and Paul were given leave by Mother Ambrose to attend the civil wedding. An excellent video, beautifully done."